“Defence diplomacy” is a relatively new term, created in response to post-Cold War needs to name new tasks and international functions completed by the armed forces and the leadership of the Ministries of National Defence. However, it should not be understood as a kind of traditional “military plus diplomacy”. The lack of a universally recognised definition of “defence diplomacy” means that states try to adapt its content to the needs of their own security policy. In Poland, the term “defence diplomacy” appears in journalism, but there is no precise reference to it in the documents concerning foreign and security policy. The main goal of defence diplomacy is the co-formation and implementation of the state security policy, and its task - to create stable, long-term international relations in the field of defence. Conceptualisation of the concept is a starting point for understanding its role as one of the most important instruments of foreign policy and the security of contemporary states.
Defence diplomacy is increasingly important in modern states’ foreign and security policies. The ever-expanding circle of issues of interest fosters the strengthening of the role and importance of defence diplomacy. Alongside the traditional areas of military cooperation based on dialogue and support, other areas of interaction serving international security are becoming more visible. Each state has a different set of instruments at its disposal, and they try to shape defence diplomacy in their own way, taking into account the specificities of their own national interests and the environments in which they operate. Despite their natural differences, there is a common understanding that defence diplomacy can enhance trust and transparency in international relations. Nevertheless, with all the similarities in states or international security organisations, it is not easy to talk about a universal model of defence diplomacy. The wide range of diplomatic instruments allows each state to select and adapt them to the specific situation and the conditions dictated by geopolitics or geo-economics in the relevant international policy areas.
The main purpose of the article is to examine diplomatic relations between China (official name: the People’s Republic of China) and Poland with a special focus on defence. It also gives an overall assessment of the relations between the armed forces of the two countries and evaluates what has been achieved so far and possible involvements that the countries (especially Poland) should take. A comparative analysis and a historical approach were used whilst investigating the facts. Qualitative research, including participant observation, archival resources, analysis and selection of studies, reports and expertise were the methods employed for collecting research material. Comparative studies were used to analyse other countries’ relations with China to help come to a conclusion. Based on the research, the author recommends an intensification of defence diplomacy between Poland and China which would bring a number of defence and economic benefit to both Warsaw and Beijing. The latest changes in the global balance of power, especially economic, political and military, should be taken into account in the process of developing and implementing a comprehensive and long-term strategic programme in the field of defence diplomacy between Poland and China.
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